“Always a pleasure to see you, Ira.” The familiar voice of a young boy resounded as Ira opened his eyes.

“Yeah? You’re starting to grow on me.” Ira said as he evaluated his surroundings. Hundreds of tables were stacked atop each other in what seemed to be an empty tavern.

“That’s unfortunate since this is the last time we’ll be speaking.” The boy leaned forward and gazed at Ira.

“Is it because of the last seal?” Ira looked at his hand and saw the sigil fading in and out.

“It’s something like a tether for me but that’s not important. I think it’s time for me to explain some things to you about what you are and what I am.” The boy’s eyes danced between a bright red and a bright yellow as his gaze hardened.

“I’m all ears but try remember I have someone waiting on me,” Ira said as he thought of Raveria.

“Don’t worry, time is different in here than it is out there. Your daughter won’t be without you for too long...Well, I should start by telling you my name. My parents named me Indras...” The boy smiled as the surroundings darkened.

…

It happened ages ago, before the Mortal Realm was even populated with living beings and Gods were scarce entities.

The Divine Realm still hosted a predatory divine species known as the Avarus Lupum. The shape-shifting wolves driven by a greedy and voracious nature but not to the point of self-destruction, that was the common evaluation of the race but the truth was far different. They weren’t just predators but inadvertently helped to maintain a special balance in the realm.

If a creature or species grew too powerful the Avarus would be attracted to it because of their nature and consume it, setting the balance straight. Of course, thousands of years passed and their role became obscured in a way. Gods, born from the Origin-Realm and its natural power, grew and so did their domains. Since they were competing with other Gods, it was clear they would want to be more powerful which meant the Avarus would be attracted.

The Avarus became less and less needed and were seen as a problem. Their high numbers and ability to evade attackers made it hard to kill them so the Gods came together and devised a plan. A moon was altered to target creatures not affected by Divine Power and it worked to pit the Avarus against each other due to their increased aggression.

Time passed and the close knit society of the Avarus dwindled while their rabid nature increased. Until something close to a miracle occurred, a child was born to a large pack. One with a special ability, allowing it to consume knowledge of those it ate and increase its power. After some time it learned of the Red Moon and chose to destroy it but before he could he tried to unite the Avarus.

At the top of a mountain filled with stone monuments, a few dozen people engaged in conversation. They were dressed in simple leather breastplates and cloth pants which made them seem ordinary.

“You say the Gods created the Blood Moon to pit us against each other?” A middle-aged man with a sharp set of canines and wolfish features spoke with skepticism. His dark grey hair wasn’t due to old age but rather an inherited trait that showed which pack he was from.

“That’s right.” A young man with black hair and yellow eyes responded.

“Bullshit! You're telling lies in order to mislead us, we all know how vicious a Darkclaw can be.” A woman with reddish hair and green eyes spat angrily.

“I also find it hard to believe,” A man with dark blonde hair and hazel eyes added.

Other voices of disagreement poured in among the spectators who held lesser importance.

The problem with the Avarus could be seen at a glance, those who weren’t related to them were predisposed to aggression.

“Indras’ words are true even if he’s a Darkclaw.” An older man with black hair spoke while a woman with white hair and blue eyes standing beside him nodded.

“Barah-Darkclaw I respect you as a worthy adversary and when my brother fell to you, you gave him an honorable death and forewent your right to consumption. You returned his body to us and because his children were able to consume him they survived the last two Blood Moons. Even if the rest of your clan are the known for their bloodthirsty nature your actions distinguish you from them. I trust you, but even if what he says is true, how are we to stop it?” The grey-haired man spoke to the older man who appeared to be the father of Indras-Darkclaw.

“I’ll eat it,” Indras answered with a confident smirk.

“Amari, you were said to hail from the wisest pack and yet, your son seems awfully dull.” The red-haired woman spoke to the white-haired woman known as Amari.

“Be serious, Indras.” Amari berated her son.

“I am serious. You all have heard of me and you know that the strength of our pack has grown considerably. When I consume my prey I gain nearly all of their knowledge. Plus, my control over space is probably the most powerful among my entire pack and maybe even the entire species.” Indras said.

“Arrogant.” The red-haired woman spat.

“Would you like to test it? If I win you’ll become my mate, Oreyna. None of the Red-fangs could protest either.” Indras teased.

“A childish mutt like you could never beat me...I accept.” Oreyna growled.

“Let’s make this quick. Do you want to stay in these small bodies or should we use our real forms?” Indras asked curiously.

Barah held his head as if it was troublesome but he knew his son to be childish at most times and serious when he needed to be.

“To avoid destroying this place, please settle this in your current bodies.” Amari smiled wryly.

Indras nodded before gesturing toward Amari and moving into an emptier area that couldn’t be seen by the others. The two took some distance away from each other before Indras spoke.

“I’ll take it easy since I don’t want to hurt my future mate.” He smiled mischievously.

“That’ll be your mistake,” Oreyna retorted before teleporting in front of him and throwing a punch.

Indras easily dodge it and she responded with a wild flurry of punches that flew with the intent to kill. He tilted his head to the side and it looked as if she just barely missed his cheek, but as she continued attacking it became clear he was purposefully making it appear as if she was close to hitting him. The two teleported all over the area, but Indras continued his evasion.

Oreyna punched toward his chest and it fell short after he retreated a half step.

“Stop running and fight me!” Oreyna barked frustratedly. She had a chip on her shoulder since she was often disregarded and had to fight tooth and nail to become the leader of the pack. Even then, the members of the pack expected her to take on a mate at some point and relinquish her position.

“Ok,” Indras answered simply as he began to counter. She threw a sloppy punch filled with anger and he ducked before raising his body and poking her forehead.

His actions caused her to stop with clear confusion on her face. Indras saw it and smiled before speaking, “I can’t hurt my mate, you’ll be the mother of my pups after all.”

Oreyna began trembling with anger as she looked at him, “Do you wish to humiliate me?!”

Indras looked surprised at her somewhat emotional outburst and took a step back, “I was serious though.”

“Then show it! Don’t treat me like a child, I’m the leader of my pack!” Oreyna yelled.

Indras’ smile faded and his expression became more resolute, “I understand.”

Oreyna felt the atmosphere shift around them and tried to teleport but found that she could move no farther than an arm's length. Loose sediment and rocks began floating as Indras’ veins emerged on his skin and his gaze sharpened. His body remained stationary while everything moved toward him in a distorted manner and then he threw a simple punch.

Oreyna felt it next to her, a massive explosion of space that created a huge crater and a deafening shock. If she was caught in it she knew she would’ve died instantly, her instincts told her that much.

Oreyna let loose a sigh as she fell, even though she wasn’t hit by the strike she felt as if her soul left her body.

“You win, Blackclaw. The Redfang keep their word and if you wish for me to be yours then that’s my fate.” Oreyna spoke in a distant tone.

Indras knelt down and pressed his forehead against hers before laughing, “Why are you upset? You’re strong female with lots of ferocity, I don’t want you to lose that.”

Oreyna pushed him away and showed her previous anger, “Don’t think that means I’ve completely given up, Blackclaw. I'll beat you one day.”

Then her expression settled as she looked at him, “...If you wish to unite all of us then I’ll follow along as a companion and your mate.”

“Then we’ve reached an understanding.” Indras nodded.

The two returned back to the pack leaders that had gathered and after much discussion, a plan was created. They would bide their time while building their strength in order to stand against the Gods and remove the Red Moon that caused them to fight against each other.

…

Of course, things never progressed as expected. There were intermission periods between the Red Moon and during those periods the planning was held by the clan leaders. It became apparent that sacrifice was needed to prevent the Gods from becoming suspicious. While they distanced themselves during the Red Moon, their clan mates ruthlessly fought and killed each other.

It caused a bitter feeling to fill their chest, knowing that the fighting was for nothing, but they continued to persist. A few short but agonizing years passed until the day finally arrived and the Red Moon would be removed from the starry sky of the Divine Realm.

“Indras.” Oreyna appeared in a cave with five adolescent children, on the cusp of their teenage years, following behind her. Three boys and two girls with varying hair colors of red or black with eye colors of either yellow or green. The Avarus Lupum grew at an astonishing rate which contributed to them being seen as a threat.

“Papa.” The children jumped onto Indras who gathered them up in his arms.

“Ah, ferocious little beasts.” Indras laughed.

“It's nearly time the clan leaders are waiting for you,” Oreyna said with a concerned look on her face.

Indras’ put his children down before showing a look of determination, “I’m prepared even if it means dying, I just want to know my kids can grow without being forced to fight.”

Suppressing the urge to kill during the Red Moon was incredibly hard and could force weak minded individuals to insanity. So it was an achievement in and of itself that the clan leaders controlled themselves for so long.

“Promise me you won’t die,” Oreyna whispered silently.

The kids sensed the atmosphere and showed worried and fearful expressions which tugged at Indras heart.

“I won’t die, I promise,” Indras said as he hugged Oreyna tightly.

She inhaled deeply and swallowed the selfish desire of wanting him to stay as to not burden him. The survival of the entire species hung on Indras shoulders and no matter how much he brushed it off on the surface, it was clear it was a heavy weight to bear.

“Then go, Indras…but make sure you come back.” Oreyna sent him off without tears.

“We’ll have to celebrate when I return.” Indras winked meaningfully to Oreyna who let out a dry laugh.

His children watched as he turned toward them with a carefree smile, but as soon as one began to cry, it triggered a chain reaction.

“Don’t go, Papa.” A girl with black hair and green eyes was the first to run into Indras’ arms and then the rest followed.

Oreyna sighed and began pulling them off before taking a strict tone, “Your father is doing what he has to for your own well-being, don’t make it harder for him.”

“I’ll really come back otherwise your mother may eat all of you,” Indras joked.

He made on final goodbye and stepped out of the cave to see a gathering of every pack that filled the entire wooded area. As he walked by, the Avarus silently parted with an unrestrained respect present in their eyes.

By now the truth had been spread and the Clan Leaders convinced those under them to trust Indras. Even if they couldn’t believe what they heard, there wasn’t anyone who would look forward to bloodshed especially since everyone had lost someone close at one point.

“This will be the last time the Blood Moon controls us,” Indras spoke loudly as he looked to the sky that hosted a mixture of colors and stars.

“Be well, son.” Barah and the rest of the Blackclaws voiced their hopes while Amari hugged her son.

“When I return we’ll all celebrate so wait for me,” Indras said.

They nodded but couldn’t help to think of the worse outcomes. If it didn’t work and Indras died it would be an unmistakable tragedy, but they didn’t voice those thoughts.

Indras gave one last look to the crowd of thousands before vanishing. The entire race gambled on him and he didn’t plan on disappointing them.